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CHAPTER 1 InsIde RevIt stRuctuRe
Working views can change from minute to minute, for instance as you change between
coarse and medium detail modes, so it is very convenient to have the View Control bar nearby
for easy access to the controls.
Status Bar
The status bar is located at the very bottom of the GUI. The text on the left of the status bar will
do the following:
Display the name of a highlighted element.
•◆
Display prompts and/or additional information regarding the active command.•◆
List the available shortcuts that are available for a given sequence of characters, which can •◆
be navigated using the arrow keys.
On the right end of the status bar, you can view the status of your keyboard locks (Caps,
Num, and Scroll). To the right of this is an element selection counter, which will display the
number of elements currently selected in the drawing.
The Communication Center is located at the right end of the status bar and can be config-
ured to check for software updates, product support announcements, and other related news at
intervals defined in its settings. The Communication Center can be opened by double-clicking
or by right-clicking the icon. In the Communicaton Center dialog box that is then displayed you
configure which information channels you want to receive information about, such Articles and
Tips, and at what interval you wish to update your local workstation with the information.
Shortcuts
Shortcuts are one of the most powerful ways to increase your overall speed and productivity
when using Revit Structure. Shortcuts enable you to launch commands directly from the draw-
ing area without having to move your cursor. That significantly reduces mouse travel, saving
time and your wrist. Many shortcuts are already defined, and you can create others for nearly
all commands found within the menu bar.
Right-Click, or Context, Menu
The right-click, or context, menu provides quick access to useful commands directly related to
the element or object being highlighted. As previously discussed, right-clicking on GUI objects
(toolbars and the Design bar) displays a menu that controls how they are displayed:
Right-clicking in the empty space of a view displays a menu (see Figure 1.11) with view
•◆
navigation commands and access to the properties of the view.
Right-clicking different elements in the model will also display various menus (see
•◆
Figures 1.12 and 1.13) with access to element- and view-specific commands and properties.
Figure 1.10
The View Control
bar makes it easy
to control the view
display.
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